Few model Q's

[legacy-Major Lee High]

Ok, got a few modelling questions as im a tad confussed....

When checking poly counts, i see the same numbers listed or close most times, but now i understand taht ut trianglulates the models? So if i have a model with 1500 polys and i turn it into a ply and restrice it to triangles my polys go up to like 3000? Wth should i work with when doing models hehe.

Also, in postal2 they have the head, and the body seperate so the head can come off and get kicked around, if i want to do something similar with the body, but like hands and arms etc comming off, how would i got about that heh, make the parts all seperate and line up good then would i need to make a new bone system for each one? or make just one that they all use or what heh....

Thanks.

[legacy-AkumuX]

I think I can answer question 1. I primarily work in either editable poly or mesh mode. Poly mode, counts the faces differntly than mesh mode. Mesh mode, breaks everything down into the most basic compoent - the triangle. A polygon face can be made up of more than one triangle. Here (http://www.intermath-uga.gatech.edu/dictnary/descript.asp?termID=266) is a better example than I could give of a polygone. hehe

I think all games count the triangles of a model rather than the polygones, because of framerates or something. I dunno.

Anyway, if you're using 3DS Max you can count your triangles, by converting your object to mesh, and pressing 7 on the keyboard.

[legacy-Major Lee High]

Hmm yeah ive been using the 7 thing, but ive been putting the "turn to poly" modifier on it and then restricing the faces to 3 or whatever to make triangles, and its basically doubling my count heh.

Is that the wrong way? If i leave it as a mesh and check is taht the count people are talking about hehe

*brain explodes*

I made a pretty good model, but the triangle count like that is really high, while without the modifier its under 2000 for a pretty good looking player model hehe. I was hoping to trim that down a tad more then chop teh body parts up some so they could be chopped off like p2 heh. Then kicked around, or blown around or whatever.

[Radiosity]

Using the poly counter is the best way to keep track of how many tris you're using. Go to the utilities tab in Max and hit the 'More' button, then select polygon counter from the list:

http://www.ultimatewarzone.com/images/stuff/polys.jpg

Now select the counter and you'll see this:

http://www.ultimatewarzone.com/images/stuff/polycount.jpg

Set your budget to whatever you want for currently selected and for all objects and you'll be able to keep a close eye on the actual poly count of your models (this always shows the true count that will be used when you export or whatever).

[legacy-AkumuX]

Originally posted by DarkSaber
Using the poly counter is the best way to keep track of how many tris you're using. Go to the utilities tab in Max and hit the 'More' button, then select polygon counter from the list:


That still only reflects the current state of the model. If its in a poly state, the count will be polygones, not triangles. Typically, your polygon count can run 2/1 compared to triangles.

Anyway, I prefer working in Polygone mode, but I always mesure my models using mesh mode, to get a triangle count. Nobody has told me otherwise, so I assume that I'm taking an accurate mesure of my tri-count.

[legacy-Major Lee High]

I forgot to say but i was using the polygon counter for the final counts hehe. Just #7 for while im working.

Im still confused though heh...

Edit heh

Ok i think i got it now heheh maybee... i was looking in polygon view and having like 1700 polys, then in mesh its triangles and its like 2900. I also thought that was high heh, but i guess 3000 for a player is like a minumum heh. So that puts me in good shape i guess.


Now about the body parts, what i want to do it basically chop up the body, like the wrist, above teh elbow, the head, feet, above the knees, and maybee crosssection the torso. I wanna do taht so parts can get shot off and kicked around like in postal 2, but im not real sure about how to do it. Like would a part like the neck segment be the character adn all teh others attached like guns kinda? Or helmets (wanna do them too heh)?

Also if thats possible, could i give teh head and hands their own skeletons with seperate animations like a gun kinda, then still be able to lin all that to the ut2k3 skeleton, so like while firing the face could have a focused look but if you do a voice command the mouth moves anyway without making a whole new animation for firing/talking etc. Same for hands heh, make them a bit more lively with full fingers.

Im still rather new to modelling, im at the learning to rig stage atm but i wanna do something like this to learn cause i think all models should be able to gib hehe and plan to make more like that later so... need to learn now i guess heh..

[legacy-Major Lee High]

Ok, now im working on getting the model attached to the biped, i wanna make sure i got all the verts good etc, before i bother skinning it (which i need to learn too :P).

The prob is, i cant edit envelopes or manually add verts, or change their weights....

Im using the ut2k3 chars i dled, i took one of the males and deleted the mesh and now im just attaching my model to the biped, or trying....

I used to have a good tut on this but i dont have it now :(

Any help on this or my other subjects would be awsome :)

[legacy-Major Lee High]

Getting Char into UT2k3 (http://www.planetunreal.com/identitycrisis/cabins/intertwined/)

heheh Thanks Polycount :P

Still cant select verts though heh.... i dont get it........